i'll be home for christmas
by splendidlyimperfect
Summary: When a taxi refuses to take Sting to the airport because they won't accept his service dog, a charming stranger named Rogue offers to drive him instead. The act of kindness gets Sting home to his brother Natsu and the rest of his family in time for Christmas, but Sting can't help hoping that he'll run into Rogue again.
1. Chapter 1

Sting yawned and leaned back against the bus stop sign, feeling along the edges of his watch for the time. The cab was already late – he was supposed to be at the airport in an hour.

"C'mon," he muttered, tapping his watch impatiently. "This is ridiculous."

It was three days before Christmas, and a light snow drifted down through the air around him, carried on a chill breeze. Everyone in Sting's office complained about how dark and gray it was, but Sting liked the way the air felt on his cheeks. It was the perfect weather for apple pie and hot cider and cozy scarves.

Finally, Sting heard a vehicle pull up in front of him – he hoped it was the taxi. He was seriously going to be late.

"Mister Eucliffe?" an unfamiliar voice asked. It sounded like an older man.

"Yep," Sting replied, reaching for the handle of his suitcase. "You the cab?"

"Well…" The voice was hesitant. "We, ah… we cannot accept pets in the vehicle."

Sting frowned, then shook his head. "Oh no, Lector's my service dog, he's not a pet." Lector stood from where he'd been curled up under the bench and sat at Sting's feet, nudging his hand.

"No animals," the man repeated. "Too much hair – it costs too much to clean it."

Sting felt the familiar mix of frustration and self-consciousness growing in his chest. He rubbed his face, trying his best to keep from getting irritated.

"I'm blind," he said. "I need him to help me get around; you can't refuse to take him."

"No dogs."

"C'mon, man, I'm already late." Sting could hear the chatter of the crowd around him, and his cheeks felt warm with embarrassment – he hoped nobody was watching. "Don't do this to me. I filed a discrimination case last time and it was a pain in the ass, I really don't wanna do it again."

"You must call a friend," the man insisted, and Sting groaned.

"I just moved here! I don't know anyone!" He put a hand on Lector's head. "I just… I need to be at the airport soon or I'm gonna miss my flight. Please?"

There was no answer, and Sting's heart sunk as he realized that the man had already walked away. Seconds later Sting heard the car start up, then pull away from the curb.

"Fucking hell," Sting muttered, reaching into his pocket for his phone. Lector huffed, headbutting Sting's hand. "Yeah, I know, boy. You're very handsome, and he was a jackass." He sighed as he realized he hadn't even asked what the taxi number was so he could report them.

"Hey, are you okay?" A deep, warm-sounding man's voice came from Sting's left and he tipped his head toward it.

"I'm fine," he sighed, thumb hesitating over the 'home' button on his phone. He could call another cab, but they might refuse him too.

"That guy was a dick," the man said, moving a little closer to Sting. "They can't do that, can they?"

"Nope," Sting replied, rubbing his face. "Not the first time it's happened, though."

"That sucks." The man hesitated, then added, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you said you needed to get to the airport?" Sting nodded. "I, um, know you don't know me or anything, but I'm heading to the airport too… would you like a ride?"

"Really?" Sting sighed with relief, then paused, frowning in the general direction of the man. "You're not gonna like, kill me and harvest my kidneys or something, right?"

The man snorted. "No, I swear I'm heading to the airport too." There was a rustling sound, then he said, "See? My tickets, so you…" Sting could hear the exact moment he realized his mistake. "Okay, that was dumb."

Sting shook his head, laughing, and reached out his hand. "I won't hold it against you," he said, and was pleasantly surprised to feel warm, soft fingers grip his. "I'm Sting."

"Rogue," the man replied, and Sting could still hear the embarrassed tinge to his voice. "Sorry about that."

"Do you like dogs?" Sting asked, petting Lector's head.

"I'm, uh, more of a cat person," Rogue admitted, "but I don't _not_ like dogs."

"Lector's an excellent judge of character," Sting said. Rogue laughed, and Sting could feel Lector's tail beating against the back of his leg. "I think he likes you."

"I'm glad I pass his inspection," Rogue said, and Sting could hear the smile in his voice. "I'm, um... just parked around the back, did you want to..."

"Lead the way," Sting said as Lector stood up and moved to follow Rogue. "Thanks again, I really appreciate it."

* * *

The ride to the airport was long, but Sting was talkative, and Rogue was glad for the company. Lector, who sat in the back seat, put his head forward on the console and kept nudging Rogue until he scratched behind the dog's ears.

"Thank you so much," Sting said when they finally got to the parkade and Rogue helped him pull his suitcase out of the trunk. "You're a life saver, seriously. Can I at least pay for your parking?"

Rogue shook his head, then realized Sting couldn't see the gesture. "Seriously, don't worry about it," he said, nudging the handle of Sting's suitcase under his fingers. "It's Christmas, people are supposed to be nice to each other, right?"

Sting smiled, then surprised Rogue by squeezing his hand before he could pull away. "I get the feeling you're a nice person even when it isn't Christmas," he said. Rogue blinked as an embarrassed flush crept up the back of his neck.

"Oh," he said softly. "I mean… I try?"

"Well, you're definitely my Christmas miracle," Sting said as they headed toward the elevator. "My brother would kill me if I missed family dinner."

"Same," Rogue laughed, holding the door open for Sting. "My friend's parents are hosting Christmas this year and his mom is a bit… well, last time I visited she had everyone's seats at the table color-coded to match the Christmas sweaters she made."

"That sounds like my brother-in-law's family," Sting said. "Looks like we're both in for a fun holiday."

Their conversation continued until they made it to the check-in counter, and Sting's story about a fireworks incident at last year's New Year's party slowly petered off. Rogue felt a disappointed tug in his stomach as Sting felt for the time on his watch.

"Just in time," Sting said. "I, uh… I'd better get checked in, I guess."

"Yeah." Rogue nodded as disappointment thrummed in his chest. A tiny, romantic part of him (the part that had cried while watching 'Love, Actually' last night) had hoped that they might be on the same flight. Unfortunately, they weren't even taking the same airline.

"Thank you again," Sting said. "I really don't know what I'd have done without you."

"It was nice to have company," Rogue insisted. "It's been…" He cut himself off before he could embarrass himself by telling Sting how lonely he'd been lately.

"Can I get your number?" The words tumbled out of Sting in a rush as he pulled his phone out of his pocket, fumbling with it for a second before holding it out to Rogue. "I don't really know anyone here, and you've been really nice, and maybe, y'know, when we're both back from holidays…"

"Yeah," Rogue said as a smile crept across his face. He reached out for Sting's phone, trying not to jump when their fingers brushed. "There's, um, a really nice café near where I picked you up. Maybe we could…"

"I'd like that," Sting said. Lector nudged his hand and Sting laughed. "And Lector would, too."

* * *

Getting off the plane in Magnolia was a nightmare. The airport was packed with thousands of people going home for the holidays, and by the time they made it into the Arrivals area, Sting already had a headache.

"I hate airports," Sting said to Lector, grateful for the gentle tugs that guided him through the crowd. Yet another stranger bumped into Sting's shoulder and he sighed, shifting his suitcase behind him and trying to keep out of everyone's way. Lector stopped, suddenly, and Sting nearly stumbled forward but was caught at the last minute by a firm hand on his elbow.

"You should really watch where you're going," a familiar voice teased, and Sting sighed in relief.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" He reached out and pulled Natsu into a hug, then punched his arm for good measure.

"Hey!" Natsu protested, batting Sting's hand away. "You would hit a man in a wheelchair? You're a terrible person."

"Oh, fuck off," Sting grumbled, resting his hand on the back of the wheelchair in question. "You gonna get us out of here or not? Where's Gray?"

"He's back at mom's," Natsu said. "Mom stole him away to help make butter tarts." When Natsu started to move forward, Sting followed close behind, with Lector by his side. "I drove today."

"You finally got the hand controls installed in the van?" Sting asked. He let out the breath he'd been holding since the plane landed as a door opened and they moved out into the chill night air. It smelled different, here – even out at the airport, there was still a hint of ocean salt on the breeze.

"Yeah, last week!" Natsu said, reaching back and tapping Sting's hand as they stopped at the elevator. "Now Gray's being a lazy asshole and making me drive everywhere."

Sting rolled his eyes. "You can't even pretend to be upset about that, you love driving."

When they finally made their way through the maze of the parkade to the van, Lector immediately hopped up into the back seat, panting happily as he lay his head down. Sting tossed his suitcase into the trunk, then turned to Natsu.

"You want a hand?" he asked.

"Yeah, I can usually get myself in and out, but your dog's taking up the wheelchair space."

"That's because Lector is handsome," Sting said, laughing as Natsu took his hand, "and handsome boys don't ride in the trunk."

* * *

Walking in the door of their parent's house was, as always, an overwhelming affair. Sting heard familiar footsteps in the hallway, and before he could say 'hello,' his mom was hugging him and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"I'm so glad you made it," she said, sliding her hand down his arm and squeezing his fingers. "Gray said it's going to storm tonight, and they might be cancelling all flights – you're lucky you made it in when you did."

Sting kicked off his boots and knelt down next to Lector, slipping off his harness and petting his head before saying, "Release." Lector wriggled happily, then trotted off down the hallway – likely to beg for scraps in the kitchen.

"I am lucky," Sting said, standing back up and setting Lector's harness down near his shoes. "I almost missed my flight because the cab gave me trouble again."

His mom huffed, and he could hear her earrings jingle as she shook her head. "Those jackasses," she muttered.

"Mom!"

"It's the truth," she insisted, taking Sting's elbow and guiding him around the mess of shoes in the front hall. "You'd think they'd know better by now."

Sting hummed in agreement as they walked into the living room, running his fingers along the back of a chair before settling down. "Someone actually ended up driving me to the airport," he said. "Just a guy who overheard the whole thing, I'm lucky he was around."

"A stranger?" his mom asked, concern clear in her voice, and Sting laughed.

"It's fine, mom," he said. "He was nice, and he didn't try to murder me or anything."

"Was he cute?" Natsu's voice came from Sting's left and Sting rolled his eyes, reaching out in Natsu's general direction and feeling a sense of satisfaction when his hand connected with Natsu's shoulder.

"Oh, yeah," Sting said sarcastically. "A super cute grayish-black blur."

"Natsu, stop teasing your brother," their mom admonished on her way back to the kitchen.

"I was just asking!" Natsu insisted, moving up next to Sting and nudging something warm into his hand. "Coffee," he said. "You want anything else?"

Sting shook his head, then turned when another hand landed on his shoulder.

"Merry Christmas," Gray said, leaning down to give Sting a hug and kissing his cheek. "Is my husband being a pain in the ass?"

"Always," Sting said, returning the embrace. "At least you've only had to deal with it for six years."

"Mom," Natsu called into the kitchen, "They're being mean to me." Then he added, much quieter, "I'm gonna run over both your toes."

"Go ahead and try," Gray teased, and Sting could hear Natsu grumbling as Gray moved toward him. "I'll put the cookies on the top shelf where you can't reach them."

"You're a jackass," Natsu said, squeezing Sting's thigh gently as he turned and settled next to his chair. "I'll tell your mom."

"My mom is going to have her hands full tomorrow without you being a pain in her ass," Gray argued. "You'd better—" There was a quiet _ping_ and Gray trailed off – Sting assumed he was looking at his phone. "Ugh, looks like the layover got delayed _again_. They're putting him up in a hotel overnight, hopefully the storm will pass, and he can fly in tomorrow morning."

"Who?" Sting asked.

"My friend's Ryos is coming for Christmas this year," Gray said, setting his phone down on the table. "I think I told you about him, we met through the volunteer exchange in Cairo and he was here for the holidays a couple years ago."

"You were with dad that year," Natsu interjected. "I don't think you met him."

"No, but I do remember you telling me you thought he was cute," Sting teased, nudging Natsu with his elbow.

Natsu snorted. "I only got away with that 'cause he looks a bit like Gray – dark hair, brooding, handsome."

"I do not _brood,"_ Gray insisted, but the indignance was half-hearted. "And you're just jealous because my mom likes him better than you."

"Your mom doesn't like _anyone_ better than me," Natsu said, and Sting smacked his arm. "Fine," Natsu sighed, "She doesn't like anyone more than Sting, but I'm a close second."

"That's fine because I'm _your_ mom's favorite," Gray said.

There were footsteps behind Sting and then his mom was leaning against the back of his chair and pressing something into his hand – one of the tarts she'd made with Gray. "Gray's right," she said, laughing and squeezing Sting's fingers. "He is my favorite." Then she kissed Sting's temple. "But I'm very glad made it home for Christmas, darling."

Sting wrapped his other arm around his mom, mind wandering wistfully back to Rogue's kindness and soft voice as he sighed happily and said, "Me too."

* * *

_A/N: This is what happens when cute boys use nicknames instead of giving you their real name..._

_I didn't end up working it into the actual narrative, but Sting and Natsu are twins who were born premature and ended up with complications - Natsu has spinal cord damage and Sting's blind (obviously). Natsu uses a wheelchair but is able to walk for short periods of time and uses a vehicle with adaptive controls to drive with his hands instead of feet._


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom, did you move the coffee maker?"

Sting felt along the counter where the Keurig normally sat, sighing when his fingers found nothing but what seemed to be a decorative dish of some sort.

"Sorry, sweetheart," his mom said, coming up behind him and taking his hand, guiding him over to the other end of the counter. "Your brother bought me one of those new ones and it didn't fit there. Do you need me to show you how to use it?"

Sting frowned, running his fingertips over the buttons on the top of the unfamiliar machine. "Sure. I just need to know how to make the biggest cup possible."

Sting's mom laughed, letting him grab a mug from the cupboard before guiding him through the buttons and parts of the new machine.

"Did he move anything else around?" Sting asked when he was finally seated at the table with his coffee in hand. There was the sound of nails clicking on hardwood, and then a warm, wet nose pressed against Sting's hand. "Hey, handsome," he murmured, scratching behind Lector's ears.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." Natsu's voice came from just behind Lector as he joined Sting at the table. "And I promise I didn't move anything else. At least it's not as bad as when mom lowered the counters."

Sting snorted. "I had bruises on my hips for weeks, you asshole."

"Yeah, but I made you grilled cheese to make up for it."

"You burned some toast," Sting corrected, "and then put liquid cheese on it. That doesn't count."

"He's still a horrendous cook," Gray said, coming up behind Sting and touching his shoulder before sitting down at the table as well. "Last week he forgot to put the pasta in the water and nearly ruined our best pot because he boiled it dry."

"Look, you were the one who let me in the kitchen," Natsu said, flicking something across the table at Gray. "You knew what you were getting into."

"Boys," their mom chided from the stove. "Play nice."

"Yes, mom," Sting and Natsu said in unison, then both burst out laughing.

"How's the weather today?" Sting asked, nudging Gray's shin with his foot.

"Gross." Gray sighed, rapping on the window. "Ryos said his flight's gonna make it, but it snowed another six inches or so overnight. I'm gonna have to shovel the driveway to get the car out."

"I can help you," Sting offered, wrapping his fingers around his coffee mug.

"We _could _just strap a shovel to Natsu and wheel him around out there," Gray teased.

"Mm, we'd just have to find him some snow tires," Sting added, laughing when Natsu smacked his shoulder.

As Gray and Natsu continued to bicker, Sting sighed happily, running his fingers through Lector's fur. He'd missed this. Moving away had been a huge change, and even though he was glad to have his own space, being back here felt good.

"You all right, love?" His mom appeared next to him, fingers running through his hair, and he smiled and leaned into the touch.

"Yeah, mom," he said softly. "Just happy to be home."

* * *

They made it to Gray's parents' acreage just after lunch. Sting waited in the front entrance to avoid the inevitable chaos that ensued with a dog, two cats, a wheelchair, and Gray's three nieces. Once everyone had cleared out, Sting felt a hand on his elbow.

"Hey! I haven't seen you in a while, glad you made it." The voice belonged to Lyon, Gray's older brother and father of the three girls in the living room that were currently begging Natsu for a ride. "Need a hand?"

"Probably a good idea," Sting said, nudging the pile of boots in front of him with a toe. "Natsu would never let it go if I tripped and ended up with a black eye at Christmas."

"Mom would be mortified," Lyon said, gently tugging on Sting's elbow and guiding him toward the living room. "She's been panicking all morning over whether or not her house was 'acceptably accessible.'"

With Lyon's help, Sting eventually ended up on the couch with Isabella, Lyon's youngest daughter. "Do you read books with your fingers?" she asked, settling herself comfortably in his lap.

"Sometimes," he said, laughing as she squirmed to get comfortable. She pressed a small book into his hands, and he shook his head. "Not this one, though. Only special books."

"Here," Natsu said, coming up beside them and taking the book. "You sit with Uncle Sting and I'll read it, okay?"

Nearly an hour later, the front door banged open and Sting heard two people enter and begin to stomp snow off their boots. A cold gust of air drifted into the living room and Sting shivered, tucking his hands into his hoodie pocket.

"Jesus," Natsu muttered, "it must be almost minus forty out there." Sting could feel Lector thumping his tail in agreement.

"It's freezing," Gray grumbled as he stepped into the room. "And the roads are awful."

"You survived, though," Natsu teased, then yelped and added, "Get your goddamn icicle hands out of here!"

"But you're so waaarm," Gray teased, and Sting laughed as Natsu elbowed him in an attempt to push Gray away.

"Fuck off," Natsu muttered affectionately.

"Language," Gray said mildly. "There are kids here."

"They're busy with presents," Natsu insisted. "And both our moms are in the kitchen, so shush." Then his voice changed as he addressed the person who'd come into the house with Gray – Ryos, Sting assumed. "Good to see you! You survived my husband's insane driving?" There was a mumbled affirmative and Natsu laughed, then reached over and touched Sting's knee. "This is my brother—"

"Sting?" The voice was deep and warm, and very familiar.

"Rogue?"

"Wait," Gray interjected, "You two know each other?"

Before Sting could answer, Lector had wriggled out from under Sting's legs and darted over toward where Rogue's voice was coming from. "Hey, boy," Rogue said, laughing. "Yeah, we—"

Sting could hear the second that Natsu put the pieces together and exclaimed, "The cute guy from the airport!" Sting sighed, rubbing his face and pushing Natsu's hand away.

"Ryos, huh?" he said, standing up and moving closer to Rogue.

"These two are literally the only people who call me that," Rogue said. A warm hand touched Sting's and he laughed, pulling Rogue into a hug.

"I'm really, really happy to see you," Sting murmured in Rogue's ear, hopefully quietly enough that Natsu and Gray wouldn't hear him.

"Me too," Rogue said, lips brushing Sting's cheek as he pulled back. His hand lingered on Sting's hip for a few seconds longer than was necessary, and it made something in Sting's stomach twist happily. "I can't believe we both ended up at the same place. I had a layover because I used points for the tickets and they always send you somewhere ridiculous."

"This is like something out of a chick flick," Natsu commented in the background.

"Gray, please smack your husband for me," Sting said.

"With pleasure." There was a muttered _ouch, fuck you_, and the beginning of a threat of retaliation before they were interrupted by Gray's mom calling them all to the table.

* * *

Dinner was chaotic. It took two tables end to end to accommodate all twelve of them, and Sting hoped his grin wasn't too obvious when he found himself sitting next to Rogue, elbows touching as they grabbed their glasses of champagne and tipped them forward to toast.

"I'm gonna explode," Natsu groaned dramatically after dinner as they regrouped on the sofa. Sting could hear Lyon and Juvia putting the kids to bed while the "real grown-ups" (according to Natsu) did the dishes.

"Seriously, I'm never going to eat again," Natsu said, tipping his head against Sting's shoulder. Sting rolled his eyes, pushing Natsu toward the other end of the couch where Gray was stretched out.

"Maybe you shouldn't have eaten half the dish of mashed potatoes," Sting suggested. Rogue, who was sitting on Sting's other side in the corner of the sectional, snorted.

"I have no regrets," Natsu announced, shifting closer to Gray. "They were delicious."

"Everything was great," Rogue said. Sting could feel the heat of him; the way he was sitting, one arm draped over the back of the couch. Part of him was tempted to lean into it. His cheeks were already flushed from the champagne, and the comfortable way that Rogue had touched him throughout dinner – taps on the back of his hand, knees resting together, shoulders bumping.

"You guys wanna play a game?" Gray asked. Before Sting could answer, Natsu interrupted.

"We are _not _playing Bananagrams," he insisted. "Or Uno. Sting is freakishly good at both of those and he _always _wins."

"How can you be 'freakishly good' at Uno?" Rogue asked, laughing. "Isn't it a game of chance?"

"Ask the person who has won the last twenty-six games we've played," Natsu grumbled. "He's probably cheating."

Sting was about to toss a throw pillow at Natsu when there was a thunderous _crash _outside, followed by a loud, sharp bang and then total silence.

"What—"

Sting's question was interrupted by someone shouting down the hallway, then the sound of glass shattering and a sharp cry from the kitchen. The couch jostled and Sting felt Rogue stand up quickly, then there were footsteps and concerned voices moving out of the living room.

"Natsu?" Sting reached out and exhaled in relief when he found Natsu's hand and squeezed it tightly. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Natsu reassured him, shifting until they were sitting next to each other. "The power's out, something must have happened to the pole outside. I can't fuckin' see anything."

"Oh, no," Sting said, rolling his eyes. "How horrible for you."

"Oh, fuck off," Natsu grumbled. "Gray and Rogue took off for the kitchen. I think someone dropped something when the lights went out."

"Where's your wheelchair?"

"By the TV." Natsu sighed. "I could probably make it over there but it's pitch black and the kids left all their toys all over the floor."

Sting squeezed Natsu's hand reassuringly. "Doesn't your phone have a flashlight?"

"Yeah, but I can't find it."

There was a quiet _woof _next to them and suddenly Lector was there, nosing at their joined hands. "Good boy," Sting murmured, petting his head. "It's okay." He reached into his back pocket and tugged out his phone, then pressed it into Natsu's hand. "I'm not sure how to turn the light on," he said, "but you can try?"

They sat in silence for a minute while Natsu fiddled with the phone, sighing in exasperation. "They'll be back," Sting said gently. "They're just helping the others."

"I _know _that," Natsu grumbled. "But Gray should know better than to just…"

"Leave you behind?" Sting could feel Natsu nodding, and he sighed, thinking about the last time the office had a fire drill and he'd been left with Lector, standing by the stairs and not sure which way to go.

As if reading their minds, Gray reappeared in front of them and crouched down in front of the couch. "I'm so sorry," he said, slightly out of breath. "That was—I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."

"Is everyone okay?" Sting asked.

"My mom dropped one of the glass bowls and stepped on a piece of it," Gray said. "She cut her foot, but it doesn't seem too bad. I think everyone else is fine – Isabella's a bit freaked out, but the other two are still asleep."

Natsu didn't say anything.

"Hey," Gray said gently. Natsu let go of Sting's hand and he could feel Gray taking hold of Natsu's arms. "I'm so sorry. To both of you, that was—I wasn't thinking, I just panicked when I heard mom yelling. I should have said something, that wasn't fair."

"It happens," Natsu said, but Sting could hear the tense frustration in his voice. "It's okay."

"No, it's not," Gray insisted. "I'm sorry." He shifted closer to Natsu, but Sting could still hear the quiet, "I love you," that he whispered.

"I'm sorry, too," Rogue added, appearing next to Sting and settling back down on the couch. An immediate sense of relief flooded through Sting and he shifted closer to Rogue's warmth without thinking.

"It's okay," Sting reassured him. Natsu grumbled out an agreement, and Sting asked, "What happened?"

"The storm took out that big tree in front of the house," Rogue said. "It knocked out the power and fell across your mom's car and Gray's." His voice was soft and uncertain.

"Jesus." Natsu sighed, pressing Sting's phone back into his hand. "Glad I left my car at home. All right, I forgive you for being an idiot." Sting heard him kiss Gray. "Did someone call the power company to see how long it'll be out? We're gonna freeze."

"Lyon's trying to get through, but the hold times are insane," Gray said. "Their Twitter account says they don't know how long it'll be." He sighed. "Lyon's got his SUV with winter tires so they should be able to take the kids and mom back into the city, they can stay at a hotel or something."

"But we're stuck in the cabin in the woods, huh?" Natsu teased.

"Looks like it."

Rogue was suspiciously quiet, and Sting frowned, reaching out and touching his hand. It was trembling. "You okay?" he asked quietly. The affirmative sound Rogue made didn't sound convincing. Sting squeezed his hand, shifting closer. "What's wrong?"

"Just adrenaline," Rogue said quickly. "I'm fine."

"Does he look like he's lying?" Sting asked, nudging Natsu with his elbow.

"I can't see his face either," Natsu said, laughing. "No power, remember?"

"I'm not lying," Rogue muttered indignantly. "It's just…" His voice trailed off and Sting barely caught his mumbled, "It's really dark."

Part of Sting was tempted to tease him like he'd done with Natsu, but he could sense a genuine unease behind Rogue's words. Instead he shifted closer, slipping his fingers between Rogue's.

"Why don't we get the fireplace going downstairs?" he suggested, poking Gray with his foot. "Are the others leaving right away?" He could hear Isabella calling for her mom over the background of muffled talking in the kitchen.

"I think so," Gray said. "We have a bunch of blankets down there, too, that might not be a bad idea." He sighed and pushed himself up.

"Don't even bother with the chair," Natsu said. "You get to carry me as punishment for being a jerk."

"I wasn't a jerk!"

"You kinda were."

"I said I was sorry."

"Right, and now you can show me how sorry you are by carrying me downstairs and making me a pillow nest."

Sting laughed at Gray's exasperated sigh, feeling the couch dip again as he pulled Natsu up. "You okay?" he asked, and Sting assumed the question was directed at Rogue.

"I'll live," Rogue said. Then he squeezed Sting's hand and asked, "Do you, um… can I help you? Or is that—does Lector?"

Sting laughed, bumping his shoulder against Rogue's. "Lector can't see in the dark either," he teased.

"Oh. Right." Rogue groaned. "Sorry, I'm so bad at this."

"It's cute," Sting insisted, pushing himself up and tugging Rogue after him. "I'm assuming you have a flashlight?" Rogue made an affirmative sound and Sting let go of his hand regretfully, moving his fingers up to Rogue's elbow instead.

"Please don't hate me if I accidentally walk you into something," Rogue said, kicking something aside and taking a cautious step forward.

"Don't worry," Sting reassured him. "I still put up with Natsu and he literally knocked me into a pool one time."

"That wasn't my fault!" Natsu shouted back from down the hallway.

"It was definitely his fault," Sting said. He could still feel the hesitation in the way Rogue moved and he rubbed his thumb against the back of Rogue's arm, happy when some of the tension dissipated under his touch.

"I trust you," Sting said gently, nudging Rogue forward into the dark. "Just lead the way."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I know this was supposed to be for Christmas but hey, at least I finally finished it!_

* * *

"I can't believe your parents have tequila."

Natsu's voice came from somewhere to Sting's left, where he was curled up on the basement sofa. They had pushed both couches together, as close to the fireplace as possible, and Sting could just feel the heat from Rogue's body where he was sitting next to – but not quite touching – Sting.

"It was a gift," Gray said, dropping a pile of blankets onto Sting's lap. "My aunt and uncle brought it back from Mexico."

"Wasn't that like… eight years ago?" Natsu asked.

"Mm."

"So, what I'm hearing is that they won't miss it if we drink it all."

"You're going to drink an entire bottle of tequila?" Sting asked, reaching out with his foot and trying to kick Natsu on the other sofa. He didn't quite connect, but the shift brought him close enough that his knee rested against Rogue's.

"No," Natsu corrected, _"we _are going to drink an entire bottle of tequila."

Sting snorted. "Last time you drank tequila, you go mugged by a fox."

"A fox?" Rogue sounded curious.

"A literal fox," Sting explained, laughing at the indignant sound Natsu made. "We were heading home through the park and he told me he wanted to pet this dog, but it ended up being a fox."

"It _looked _like a dog," Natsu insisted.

"Mhmm. It came up close enough to grab his bag off the back of the wheelchair and take off through the park."

Rogue's laugh was warm and rich, and it made Sting want to curl up against him. "Well," Rogue said, "at least you got a good story out of it."

"Oh, Natsu has lots of good stories," Sting said, tossing a pillow in Natsu's general direction. He was satisfied when it hit Natsu and he made a surprised sound. "He's kind of an idiot."

"Look," Natsu started.

"Can't," Sting replied, and it took a second for Rogue to get it and start to laugh again.

"You're the worst," Natsu grumbled, and Sting could hear the lid being unscrewed from what he assumed was the bottle of tequila. "As if you've never done something stupid." Lector, who was curled up on the couch next to Sting, gave a soft _woof. _"See, Lector agrees with me."

"Now I'm curious," Rogue said. "We do have all night to tell embarrassing stories."

"That hardly seems fair," Gray commented. "None of us know anything embarrassing about you."

"Let's find out then," Natsu said. "Never have I ever!" Sting groaned, but when a shot glass was pressed into his hand, he didn't argue.

"I need you to make sure the two of them are drinking when they should be," Sting said to Rogue. "Natsu likes to cheat."

"I do not," Natsu said indignantly. "I, unlike you, can hold my liquor."

"Oh, fuck off," Sting muttered. When he felt a warm hand brush against his fingers he jumped, then realized it was just Rogue letting him know he was filling the shot glass.

"Sorry."

"No, it's okay." Sting swallowed, hoping his cheeks weren't pink. "Just surprised me, that's all."

Rogue left his hand against Sting's for a moment longer, then leaned across him to hand what Sting assumed was the tequila bottle to Gray. This close, Sting could smell Rogue's shampoo – it smelled like apples.

"All right," Natsu said when everyone had their tequila. "Never have I ever broken my toe walking into a wall."

"First of all," Sting said, gesturing at Natsu with his glass, "Fuck you, I'm blind. Second of all, it was one hundred percent your fault and you know it." He tossed the shot back and made a face, then held the glass out for Gray to refill.

"It was only _partially _my fault," Natsu insisted. "Forty percent, at most. The rest of the blame goes to Lector."

"He was a puppy," Sting insisted, scratching behind Lector's ears. Rogue laughed beside him and something warm settled in Sting's stomach. "Fine," Sting said, gesturing in Natsu's direction. "Never have I ever tried to go through a drive-thru when I wasn't in a vehicle."

"Okay," Natsu said, "in my defense, I was drunk, the sign said 'no walk up service,' and I was not walking."

"I felt awful for the cashier," Sting said. He tipped his head toward Rogue. "When she told him 'no walk ups' he told her it was discrimination, and she ended up giving him free chicken nuggets."

"You weren't complaining when you ate half of them," Natsu insisted. "Also, Rogue drank too."

Sting raised an eyebrow and reached out for Rogue's hand, tapping the shot glass to make sure Natsu wasn't lying. He could hear a quiet hitch in Rogue's breath when Sting's fingers brushed the inside of his wrist, and when he didn't pull back, Sting let the touch linger.

"I was, um… on a skateboard," Rogue admitted. Once Sting had verified the glass was empty, Rogue held it out to Gray for a refill. He shifted his other hand onto Sting's knee, and the warm sensation turned into a thrill that ran up Sting's arm into his chest.

"You know how to skateboard?" Gray asked.

Rogue sighed. "I was kind of a, uh… skater-slash-emo kid in high school," he admitted.

Natsu burst out laughing. "I guess it's not too hard to picture that. You've definitely got the hair for it. It's black and pretty long." The last statement was directed at Sting, who had already reached out to touch Rogue's hair without thinking. Instead of pulling away, Rogue leaned into Sting's hand, letting him run his fingers along to the back of his head where it was tied up in a ponytail.

"It's, uh…" The words stuck in Sting's throat and he swallowed hard. "Soft. And nice." He quickly withdrew his hand, but Rogue didn't pull away. Instead he ran his thumb across Sting's knee and mumbled, "Thanks."

"All right," Gray interrupted, and Sting breathed a sigh of relief. "Natsu already went, so it's Rogue's turn now."

"Oh." Rogue shifted next to Sting until they were pressed together, knee to hip, then said, "Never have I ever been arrested in a foreign country."

Sting could hear Gray's sigh as he tossed back his shot and muttered, "It was a misunderstanding and you know it."

"You got _arrested?" _Sting asked incredulously. Gray was the kind of person who would find five dollars on the ground and spend three hours looking for the person who dropped it. "This is a story I have to hear."

* * *

Two hours later, Sting was comfortably drunk, and they had switched to 'Truth or Dare.' Gray had argued that they weren't in high school, but Natsu had teased him about being too chicken to play and he had acquiesced.

"What," Natsu said to Sting, giggling, "was the worst sex you ever had?"

Sting groaned, tipping his head back against Rogue's arm that was draped lazily across his shoulders. He'd removed his sweater at some point and Rogue's fingers brushed against his bare arm now, tracing lazy circles on the skin of his bicep.

"You're an asshole," Sting said to Natsu.

"It was Lisa, wasn't it?" Natsu snickered.

"Yes," Sting grumbled. "We were both sixteen and the only reason she wanted to sleep with me was because she was self-conscious, and I couldn't see her." Rogue snorted. "She was terrible!" Sting added, waving the hand that wasn't holding his shot glass for emphasis. "Just like… laid there. Like a… a fish."

"A fish?" Rogue asked, laughing.

Sting frowned. "No, a…" He shook his head, gesturing vaguely. "I can't do the words. 'm a bit drunk."

"Just a bit?" Gray asked. Sting stuck out his tongue in Gray's direction. "Nice one. Okay, whose turn is it?"

"Yours," Natsu said.

"No, I took off my pants. It's Rogue's turn. Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

Sting sighed and was about to tell Natsu that he wasn't allowed to dare anyone else to eat hot sauce when Gray said, "I dare you to kiss Sting."

Sting's cheeks immediately flushed hot and he felt Rogue tense against him. The gentle touch against his arm stopped and the contented sensation in Sting's stomach quickly turned to an anxious mess.

"You don't have—"

"Can I?" Rogue shifted on the couch until he was facing Sting, moving the hand from Sting's arm to tentatively touch the back of his neck.

"You…" Sting's mouth went dry and he hoped nobody could hear his heart pounding when Rogue moved closer. "Um. Yes. Very much yes."

Rogue's fingers slid into Sting's hair, hand trembling as he murmured, "Good." Then he pulled Sting closer and kissed him.

_Oh, _Sting thought as his heart stuttered and skipped a few beats. He quickly returned the kiss, leaning into Rogue and bringing a hand up to touch his cheek. Rogue made a soft sound against Sting's lips that sent sparks straight to his stomach and Sting kissed back harder, tipping Rogue's chin up with gentle fingers.

After a second, they both pulled back and Rogue pressed his forehead against Sting's, letting out a quiet sigh. Sting moved his hand down to Rogue's neck, enjoying the way Rogue's heartbeat fluttered under his fingertips.

"And with that," Natsu said, voice only slightly teasing, "I think it's time for bed."

* * *

As soon as Natsu and Gray were upstairs, Rogue's hand made its way back into Sting's. "You okay?" he asked.

Sting swallowed, sliding their fingers together and nodding. "I—yeah. You?"

"Yeah."

A gentle silence hung between them for a moment and then Rogue asked, "Can I…"

Sting couldn't help the smile that crept across his face as he answered Rogue's fragmented question with a kiss. Rogue sighed happily against him, this time bringing both hands up to run through Sting's curls as he quickly deepened the kiss. Sting opened up to him, tasting the tequila on Rogue's lips.

"C'mere," Rogue murmured, pushing himself back against the couch and nudging Sting's hip. Sting quickly shifted onto Rogue's lap, legs on either side of his thighs, and when Rogue's lips pressed against his neck, he let out a quiet sigh.

"You're gorgeous," Rogue murmured against Sting's skin, nipping at his earlobe and sliding his hands down and under Sting's shirt.

"'m gonna take Natsu's word on you being good looking," Sting said, laughing. "He keeps telling me he has good taste, and I think this time he's right." Rogue smiled against his skin, pulling him closer and continuing to kiss across his neck and down his shoulder.

"C'mere," Sting murmured, tipping Rogue's chin up. He ran his hands over Rogue's collarbone, up his neck and across his face. Rogue sat still as Sting traced his features with gentle fingertips – high cheekbones, soft eyelashes, a dimple in his cheek. "You've got a scar here," Sting said when he felt the uneven skin across the bridge of Rogue's nose.

"Mm." Rogue leaned into Sting's touch. "The unfortunate side effect of skateboarding is falling on your face occasionally." He brought his hand up to Sting's face and ran his finger along Sting's eyebrow. "You've got one here."

Sting laughed. "The unfortunate side effect of being blind and having a brother who is kind of an asshole," he said, "is that you occasionally fall into swimming pools."

Rogue leaned up and gently pressed a kiss to the scar, then rubbed their noses together. "Better?"

"Better." Sting giggled, tipping his head forward and resting it on Rogue's shoulder. "I think I'm kinda drunk."

Rogue laughed, kissing Sting's temple and wrapping both arms around him. "Me too," he said, then yawned suddenly. "Mm. I wanna keep kissing you but I'm gonna fall asleep."

"Same," Sting said, nuzzling Rogue's cheek. "Sleep with me?" Before Rogue could answer he added, "I mean—not like that, actually sleep, I'm too drunk to…"

"I know," Rogue said, smiling as he kissed the corner of Sting's mouth. "And yes."

* * *

Sting woke up to the familiar weight of Lector across his legs, and a warm body pressed against his chest. _Rogue. _A smile crept across Sting's face as he nuzzled the back of Rogue's neck and kissed it.

"Mornin'," Rogue mumbled, stirring under Sting's arm. He yawned, stretching and turning to face Sting. "You sleep okay?"

"Mm." Sting shivered at the feeling of gentle fingertips drawing patterns across his stomach, exhaling shakily when a soft kiss was placed on his neck. Rogue hummed against Sting's skin, thumb rubbing circles over his hipbone.

"Is the power back on?" Sting asked as Rogue trailed kisses across his neck to the hollow of his throat.

"Mhmm." Rogue's hand drifted up Sting's side, brushing along his bare skin and shifting against him until they were pressed chest to chest. "'s still early though."

Sting exhaled, pulling Rogue closer to him and grinning when he felt Rogue hard against his thigh. "You don't seem very sleepy," he murmured, slipping his leg between Rogue's and pressing forward. Rogue exhaled shakily and shook his head.

"'m not," he said, rolling his hips and bringing one hand down to the waist of Sting's sweatpants.

"Good," Sting said, nudging Rogue's hand further down. "'cause I really like you, and I want you to touch me."

Rogue's fingers trailed across Sting's sweatpants and Sting could hear the smile in his voice. "I think I can do that," he said as Sting ran gentle fingers through his hair and pulled him back in for a kiss. "And I really like you, too."


End file.
